Just in Case
by l Angelic Muse l
Summary: In the midst of the battle of Hogwarts, and fearing for either or both of their lives, Draco decides to let out just how he feels about Hermione Granger. But how will she take it?
1. One

I've suddenly become a fan of Dramione (have no idea how, though xD), and the next few days later, I found myself writing this. Hope you all like it. It's really short, though, only two chapters. So not much is going to happen.

Just in Case

Chapter One

Hermione bit back a scream as a hand gripped her upper arm. Her teeth dug into her lips as she searched in her pockets for her wand. Although it was pretty odd; wouldn't a Death Eater just try to kill you, and not try to grab you? Or maybe it was that Snatcher. That would just be worse. With that in her thoughts, she feared for the worse and was about to shout out a curse.

"Wait!" shouted a voice, quite close in her ear.

Her eyes widened, and she took a closer look at the person who had hold of her. The voice didn't belong to the strange Scabior, or even Harry, in case he wanted to talk. She was caught by surprise and tightened her grip on her wand.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked somewhat acidly.

"I…I need to talk. Just for a bit," Draco replied quickly.

Something about was off, she thought instantly. His tone wasn't sarcastic and snide; rather, it seemed sincere. It was something that threw her off guard once again. But she stared at him hard. His face revealed how scared he was, more scared than when she threatened to attack him in their third year. That was nothing compared to this; it was reasonable, though, what with the situation going on.

This made Hermione in a hurry, though. "Draco, I think later is a better time to talk. I mean, we're in the middle of a war! Anytime is good…but not now. I have to go somewhere." Hermione looked behind her shoulder and over the corner she was about to pass when Draco grabbed her. Ron was gone. She felt so worried now, and her patience was wavering into nothingness the more she prolonged her pointless conversation with Malfoy.

"Where?"

"None of your business!" Hermione snapped. "But it's important. I have to go."

"Hermione! HERMIONE!"

She jumped, the voice creeping into her spine. But she relaxed once she put the voice with a familiar face together in her mind. She looked past the corner of the wall. "Ron, I'm alright. I'm right here," she said as calmly as she could force her tone to be.

"Hermione, c'mon, we have to hurry. You coming or not? …Something wrong?" Ron asked, taking gradual steps towards Hermione…and Draco.

_Oh, boy. If he thought I was doing stuff with Harry before, what would he think seeing Draco! _She turned to Draco, who gave her raised eyebrows. She gritted her teeth and peered back to Ron. "Ron, just go on without me!" she shouted.

Ron gave her a disapproving look. "You okay for sure? The last time you said that, you accidentally turned yourself into a cat-"

"Ron, I'm not a cat, obviously," she said, rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like laughing at the moment, though, even as the memory returned. "But I promise I'll catch up."

He hesitated, and Hermione felt an image of a clock form in her mind. _Tick tock, tick tock…_The longer she and Ron stood there, with Draco alongside her, the more people would die, the more the Death Eaters would be close to winning, the bigger chance Voldemort might get to killing Harry. Even though Harry had to, but still…

But then Ron descended through the corridor again, tentatively, and his footsteps quieted into complete quiet. Hermione again realized Draco was still standing there, and faced him. He kneeled down, as did she. They both began to speak in low whispers. "This better be quick, Draco," Hermione started. "What is it?"

"Well…I'm just…worried," Draco stuttered. "With the war, I might think one of us might not make it out alright."

"_One of us_?" Hermione echoed. She could think of so many other people besides them, especially Draco, she worried for more. She had already seen several familiar dead bodies, and more would arrive in the Great Hall, if she didn't hurry and help Ron. _Tick tock. _"Please, Draco, just spit it out!" she said in a hoarse voice that was more pleading than demanding.

"I just want you to know that…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

Draco nodded, and a smile, the smallest of smiles, pulled on his face. But it still seemed to lighten his face. Hermione took a step back. "Yeah. I'm sorry for everything…Gr-Hermione," he added, struggling with his words.

He'd never called her by her first name, and definitely not in the strange tone he was speaking in. Usually her last name, or even _Mudblood_. She couldn't remember when he said her name to her face and not acting like a jerk. It was nice, but it was certainly suspicious. She couldn't believe what he was saying, or what he was trying to say through his words. And she certainly had no idea where this conversation was going.

Where it was going was only wasting time. It was time she needed to help save Hogwarts and the world. She could have left, but his face was much too soft for her to leave just yet. She decided to give him more time.

"What is it that you want, exactly, Draco?" she asked a bit harshly, but her paranoia was slowly melting.

Draco was hesitant, which only drove Hermione into more impatience that was beginning to take a toll and make her go hysterical. But instead of yelling, she kept her silence and waiting with a pointed look.

Finally, biting his lip, Draco cleared his throat. "Just…I want you to know that I don't hate you. That all those things I've said a-and done to you during school-I didn't mean any of it," he continued.

This was not the path Hermione expected. She was caught off guard, losing her pointed look and changing into a perplexed one.

"_Everything?_" she asked skeptically, her arms crossed. How could he mean _everything_, after all? Did he really want her to forget all the times she went through his bullying. She couldn't count how many times he humiliated, taunting, and bullied her. If she could, she had a chance it would be a pretty damn high number. And she wouldn't believe that all of that was _fake_.

He nodded. "Yes."

Hermione got her guard back, and kept it that way as she asked, "Can I really believe that? You sounded pretty convincing all those times you made fun of me and Ron and Harry…" Her voice trailed off at her friends' names. It brought her back into reality, where the world was in danger. Close to impatient hysteria, she said, "Please, Draco, we have to go! I don't have any time for your ridiculousness!"

"It's not ridiculousness," Draco said. "C'mon, just give me some time."

"We don't have any time, Draco!" she shouted, arms spread out widely. "We're in a war. All us good wizards and witches in the world are trying to save this school-and even the world, for Merlin's sake-from people like you!"

That seemed to sting Draco, yet she wasn't pleased. And she didn't understand the hurt he felt about that. It was true. Draco was a Death Eater. She didn't want to believe it during their sixth year, because she believed in him. But it was now the truth. His father was a Death Eater, and he was carrying on the tradition…

"Hermione, you don't know what it's like for me!" Draco defended himself sharply.

"No I don't," she admitted, though still guarded. "But why should I? I know you're a Death Eater, and that's the end of it. You're like…like you're father."

Draco's eyes widened. "I never wanted to be a Death Eater," he said through his teeth.

"Why should I believe that?"

Draco pulled out something. Hermione instinctively, became to search her pockets for hers. But Draco stopped her with a hand out to protest. Tentatively, she put her wand back, wondering what Draco was planning to do.

But she saw it wasn't his wand like she thought. It was a knife. She touched the arm where Bellatrix carved _Mudblood _into her arm a while ago. Seeing that weapon made that mark burn slightly.

Draco put the knife close to his arm. He pulled up his black sleeve, where the Dark Mark was etched into the lower part of his arm. The snake danced in its place while coiling down towards his wrist. She stared at it, knowing that was the answer to her question if he was a Death Eater. Although it was the first time she saw his arm, she still knew.

She glared at him, her expression questioning what he was doing.

The knife gingerly touched his elbow.

Hermione gaped, but didn't protest whatever he had in mind. She covered her eyes, worrying for what was to come.

There was a gruesome sound, followed by an agonized scream that wasn't too loud. It wasn't too loud, yet it still made Hermione shiver once it came.

She opened her eyes again and saw that the Dark Mark was gone. The entire thing of his skin was cut off, and was now on the floor. His arm was covered in blood that was beginning to glow black.

Hermione was nauseated, and she grabbed her bag. She found the Dittany and took it out. She showed it to Draco, and finally couldn't hold in her shock. "Wh-why did you do that, Draco? What were you thinking?"

Draco pulled away, ignoring the Dittany. But it was too disgusting for her to look at. She began to drop the liquid of the bottle onto the large cut he slashed into his arm. The blood was beginning to crust, but she found it easily.

Draco groaned in pain. It died away in a few moments, and he turned to his arm. It was beginning to grow back skin where he cut. He stared at it in amazement. "You're amazing," he said.

This caught her by surprise. She couldn't count how many times Ron and Harry said this to her…mostly Ron. "It's nothing. It was the Essence of Dittany. But why did you do that?" she asked again.

"To show you you're wrong," he answered.

"Wrong?" she echoed.

"I don't want to be a Death Eater. I'm not mean. I'm not who you think I am. There's more to be behind all the horrible stuff I've did. Don't you believe me?" Draco went on.

"Why…why are you telling _me, _though?" she prompted. _Tick tock._ "Why not Harry, who you've-you've been horrible to! Why do you care about what I think?"

Draco shook his head, now smiling. "That's complicated."

"How's it complicated. Draco, I want-no, need-an answer! Why do you care about-?"

Draco cut her off in the most shocking way Draco pushed himself toward her, and their lips met.

She blinked for only a millisecond, but through her closed lids, multicolored stars exploded. A strange sensation and confusion detonated through her body, staring from her lips. Her hands reached out for Draco, only her fingers had suddenly fallen numb. She pressed them together, realizing they were vibrating.

Hermione backed away just two seconds later, but even that short time seemed to last an eternity in her mind. Her eyes didn't open until she could think this all would be an ominous dream that took an unexpected turn. She blinked, but Draco was still there, and war was still everywhere. She could hear screams from beyond hallways.

iTick…tock…/i Now the clock was slowing, because she couldn't care less about it. She felt like everything was tilting, even the walls. Everything was moving in ways it would have been impossible. While they were alone, she feared that the world was watching. Those she loved, those she despised, watching as someone she thought hated her kissing her in the middle of a war. Someone not only thought hated her, but was the enemy. It was someone she doubted was a regular human who could be decent. She wasn't sure what to think of him anymore. Her heart raced fasted against her chest, and she had to breathe carefully, fearing she'd pass out.

She breathed heavily, trying to catch up and absorb what just happened. It was impossible, and she turned to the hallway Ron ran into. It took a moment to realize that she was growing cold, and sweat was emanating from her forehead. She just wasn't if it was from the terror going on or kissing Draco…

Draco gave her a worried look, and now she knew.

What he said was the truth. He really _did _have feelings for her. Why else would he even think of kissing her, let alone actually do it? After all those years, he never meant anything. She just had no idea why he did it, but she didn't ask. She didn't want to. It made so much sense…and so little sense at the same time, if it were possible.

"Draco…I have to go," she said. Her voice was hoarse and dry, and so was her mouth. She got up, and her legs felt numb. She struggled to stand straight for a few moments.

"Hermione!" he shouted, just like Ron did before.

And she didn't give him a chance to reply. Just as he even opened his mouth to speak, she was already heading towards the Chamber of Secrets. She hoped Ron would be there, maybe waiting for her, or already did the job. Either way, she wouldn't mind; Hermione just wanted to be with Ron.

"Hey, what happened?" Ron asked once she met him at the entrance. Nothing was in his arms, and it looked like he hadn't even spoken to open the door. She knew he was waiting…for her. She blushed lightly at this.

But she couldn't get Draco out of her head. His soft expression, his quiet and sweet tone, his lips on hers… She shook her head. "Just…something distracted me. It's nothing-nothing."

Ron nodded, but was obviously still not going to let this go. Yet he didn't say anything as he began to help their plan unfold.


	2. Two

Disclaimer: I do not own either the book or movie or the characters of the Harry Potter series.

Just in Case

Two

Throughout the war, through torture and pain and horror, Hermione had finally made her decision.

Her head was spinning, and everything felt like a blur. She thought there would be more, but there wasn't. Everywhere, people, dead or alive, stood in the Great Hall. Debris decorated the walls and floors. While some were cheering over the victory, others were remorse over lost ones. There were so many things going on in her mind, and she didn't know what to feel.

She searched the room, trying to miss all dead bodies that meant something to her. Right now, she had to let something out of her mind, and she needed Draco.

She thought she had seen Draco leave with his family, but she instead found him sitting on a bench, his head looked sideways. A blank face was composed on his face, but something in it showed that he was despondent. He was alone, his parents obviously elsewhere. No one was around to comfort him.

Hermione looked around. No one was looking, including Harry and Ron. She ran up to him, touching his shoulder with a finger. "Draco…?"

He looked up slowly, and his eyebrows went up. "Granger…how you doing?" he asked.

She was shaking, she was ready to burst into tears, she was glad this whole thing was over, and she was conflicted inside over thunderous emotions raging in her. But most of all, she was glad Draco was still around. She had much to say. "Fine," she muttered, sitting down beside him. She looked absentmindedly at her hands. She then caught a glance at Draco's arm, which was bandaged that was a little red stained but otherwise seemed fine.

She smiled weakly. "Madam Pomfrey helped with your arm, too? I'm glad it's alright," she said.

Draco looked at it, too. "Yes, a little. But you helped a lot, too, Granger," he pointed out.

Hermione nodded without really knowing it, or why she was nodding. Silence entered the air around them for a few minutes. Hermione's gaze switched to her feet, which tapped against the floor. For a second, she even wondered if that kiss was simply a part of her crazed imagination.

"Just so you know," Draco began, tugging her from her thoughts, "I didn't mean to…you know, join Voldemort. I mean, my parents-my dad is a Death Eater, and he pretty much forced me to join. It wasn't fun."

"At Malfoy Manor, you looked miserable," Hermione recalled, thinking of his horrified face in his own home, like everything going around him was traumatizing. Considering all that happened, perhaps it was.

"Yeah, that wasn't much fun," he said, with the smallest of smiles, but he nodded in agreement. His eyes fell into hers, and then she remembered why she came over here. Also, he put his hand on top of hers. "But I'm just glad it's all over."

"I know." She moved her hand away. It felt warmer at his touch. She rubbed it against her other hand because she was growing nervous…or to cool it off. She took in a breath, ready to say what she was thinking of after he kissed her-even while she was kissing Ron. Now he was not something she wanted to think of while being with Ron. It just felt wrong.

"Draco…I don't want to be with you."

There, she said it. She cleared her throat, intertwining her hands together as they began to sweat. And she didn't feel horrible. She knew it was the right thing to say for her. It shouldn't have made her feel so bad.

But he turned to her. His face fell, and now she just felt guilty. "Really?"

She nodded, and she wanted him to know. She sighed and knew that an explanation was not wanted, but needed. "Yes, Draco. It's just…please don't feel bad or anything. You didn't do anything, I guess."

"Maybe that's it! I didn't do anything. I never really said anything until now. It's not fair," Draco muttered, mostly to himself. "For years, all I did was make fun of you and treat you like dirt. So you'd never think I-I'd like you or anything! I'm an idiot!"

"No Draco, don't say that," Hermione defended him. He looked at her with very innocent eyes, and she felt even more regret telling him this. "I guess…I guess you just didn't know how to handle…liking me?" Oh, how could she clarify this to him? Why was she telling him what he should be saying? Why was she doing anything for him? She wanted Ron or Harry, to be around people who have been kind to her more than Draco ever had.

Her feet were planted in their place, however, and her body was staying against the seat. She even put her hands on Draco's lap, to get his attention. "But I don't…I don't feel the same way like you feel about me," she told him slowly, feeling tears burn her eyes. But why was she crying?

Draco reached out, his fingers caressing her cheeks as the tears slid down. He wiped off the tears. "Sorry," Hermione whispered, meanwhile curious as to why she was saying this.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Draco said, and his smile grew.

But she could still he was disappointed, the emotion etched through his smile. She sighed, knowing that despite a sudden flutter in her chest, this couldn't last long. "I have nothing against you…now that I know. It's just that-well, Draco…I kissed Ron."

"When?"

"When-when I ran off, after…we kissed. Ron and I went to the Chamber of Secrets-I'm not going to say why, though. While we were in there, we just…did," Hermione explained, feeling the depression of two boys in love with her now coming to her. She could only choose one.

But that question had an instant answer. She looked into Draco's eyes, ignoring how handsome they looked. "I love Ron. I always will. It won't change-and definitely not because of you." She paused. "That's why I'm sorry."

Draco nodded, and Hermione felt the huge stress fall off her shoulders. "It's alright. I understand."

Hermione pulled out and kissed him on the cheek. Very quickly, but it could have been forever in her heart. She turned back to see his eyes. "Thanks, Draco. Do you think you'll be alright? What about your dad? Your mother?"

"My dad might be taken into Azkaban because he's a Death Eater." He shook his bandaged arm. "Not sure about me-I think I'll be fine anyway. And I think my mother will be alright. And you? Your parents?"

Hermione faced away, toward the door, where the sunlight became to illuminate the dark Great Hall. She wondered about her parents. Even though Draco didn't know it, that question stung her a bit. Her parents didn't know the proud actions she had taken. Maybe she'd find them someday.

But not now. She twirled back to Draco and sighed. "I'll survive. Now…I'm going to find Ron and Harry. I really want to see their faces right now."

"Bye, Hermione. At least…we'll still be friends, right?" Draco asked hopefully. "After everything, at least friends?"

Hermione let out an exhale of relief. "Of course. Friends."

Hermione got up, searching the halls for Ron or Harry-or both would be great. Her mind, however, couldn't stop thinking about Draco. She kissed him again, on the lips…just in case. However, there were no stars, no combustion of colors or music or sparks.

She found herself quickly. She found the reality again and knew why she was on her feet and where she was going. Her eyes remained closed for a little while, even after she let go again-she wondered again if it was all a scary, bemusing dream. And she went to find Harry and Ron, ready for the rest of her life, the one where Draco existed little, where all this drama suddenly didn't exist. Her moment with Draco was touching, but it was too much. Being with Ron and Harry would be much better for her, she believed, and with Draco added in or not, she wanted that.

She hugged Ron upon seeing him again, tears falling down her face. He had no idea about what she was going through with Draco, and she didn't want him to. Because it was all behind them.

[I wasn't sure how to end this, although I had an idea that it would be happy for Dramione fans. Sorry. :o Thanks for the few people who probably read this, and thanks to my one replier; I even accept that happily, thanks! I enjoyed writing this, but perhaps in the future, I'll consider writing a longer Dramione story. But don't get your hopes high. School starts for me tomorrow, so writing will be complicated a little]


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